The Forum, Norwich

The Forum is a community building in Norwich, Norfolk in England. It stands opposite the St. Peter Mancroft Church. Built on the site of the previous Norwich Library which burnt down in 1994, the Forum was designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners, and built as a millennium project for the East of England, being finished in October 2001.[1] The Forum is part of Norwich 12, a collection of notable buildings in Norwich spanning the Norman, medieval, Georgian, Victorian and modern eras.[2] It is visited by more than 2.5 million people every year.[3][4]

The building is home to the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium (NML) library, the local Tourist Information Centre, and the BBCEast offices and studios, where the regional television news bulletin BBC Look East and local radio station BBC Radio Norfolk are based.[2] The amphitheatre-like steps at the front have provided a venue for functions such as amateur theatrical performances, outdoor opera,[5] musical competitions, art exhibitions, processions,[6] and celebrations. Because the forum is funded partly by lottery grants, they hold certain events which are free of charge for people to attend. The Forum is commonly used as a meeting place, and the plaza area attracts skateboarders and free runners.